SOUTH BEND - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will deliver the keynote address during a daylong symposium titled "Educational Innovation and the Law" next Friday at the University of Notre Dame Law School. The symposium is free and open to the public, but tickets are required for the 2:30 p.m. keynote address, which will be in McCartan Courtroom in Eck Hall of Law. Keynote session tickets will be issued, one per person, on the day of the event beginning at 1 p.m. in Eck Commons (law school's second floor bridge)

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's entry into the 2012 presidential race could dramatically reshape what has become a two-man race between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry. But Christie, who's under pressure from party elders to run, hasn't faced national scrutiny -- and he could join other early favorites who burned out fast. The budget-cutting Christie is the latest heartthrob of Republicans who have been looking for a more exciting candidate than Romney. The former Massachusetts governor ran in 2008 and has long been considered the one to beat in the GOP, which has a history of nominating candidates who lost once before.

HANOVER, N.H. (AP) -- Presidential candidate Mitt Romney took some less staunchly conservative stands than his rivals in their debate Tuesday night, declaring he can work with "good" Democrats and positioning himself closer to the center in line with his claim that he can draw crucial independent voters in next year's general election. He even defended portions of the Wall Street bailout, a particular sore point with many conservative voters who will play an important role in choosing the Republican nominee next winter and spring.

How low can Congress go? Well, lower than a cockroach. Really. A nationwide poll last week conducted by Public Policy Polling found Americans had a higher opinion of cockroaches than of Congress. But the roaches had to scurry. They were more popular than Congress by only 2 percentage points. Close race. Actually within the margin for error. No contest, however, in many other comparisons. Colonoscopies, root canals, used car salesmen and lice all were selected way ahead of Congress by more than 20 percentage points.

> SOUTH BEND -- Pumping his fist and exchanging high-fives with the coach's wife, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie celebrated every big play from his seat behind the Notre Dame bench during last February's overtime victory at Villanova. A fan of the Irish and a friend of coach Mike Brey, Christie often supports Notre Dame on its basketball trips to the East Coast. Brey and the Irish have decided to return the favor. From now until next Thursday, the Irish men's basketball program is holding a special online auction (www.und.com)

SOUTH BEND - Pumping his fist and exchanging high-fives with the coach's wife, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie celebrated every big play from his seat behind the Notre Dame bench during last February's overtime victory at Villanova. A fan of the Irish and a friend of coach Mike Brey, Christie often supports Notre Dame on its basketball trips to the East Coast. Brey and the Irish have decided to return the favor. From now until next Thursday, Jan. 17, the Irish men's basketball program is holding a special online auction (www.und.com)

Big wins for the Notre Dame men's basketball team -- and there have been a bunch in the last 365 days -- often are gauged in importance by the number of cell phone messages for coach Mike Brey. When Notre Dame grabbed national headlines with a Big East win at then-No. 2 Pittsburgh -- a victory that was one year ago Tuesday -- Brey had 55 messages waiting after he climbed aboard the team bus. On Saturday, once a sellout crowd that stormed the Purcell Pavilion floor had left for home following the 67-58 victory over then-No.

I don't know what is more aggravating: the inconsistencies in New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's speech delivered at the University of Notre Dame or the stale solutions he offers for the problems of public education. Christie says that having uninvolved parents should be no hindrance to a child's education but then goes on to say that he "wouldn't be standing here" (presumably in a governor's shoes on a podium at Notre Dame) were it not for the fact his parents borrowed money to move to the suburbs with their better schools.

SOUTH BEND -- Calling K-12 education "the single most important issue in America today for our long-term future," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Friday offered a list of recommendations for improving the nation's public schools. He sharply criticized teachers unions and challenged Americans to have the strength to help poor children in failing schools. "We neither have the guts nor the will to change the status quo and to stand up to the comfort of adults in favor of the potential of children," the Republican governor said during a speech at Notre Dame Law School.

SOUTH BEND - Calling K-12 education "the single most important issue in America today for our long-term future," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie today offered a list of recommendations for improving the nation's public schools. He sharply criticized teachers unions and challenged Americans to have the strength to help poor children in failing schools. "We neither have the guts nor the will to change the status quo and to stand up to the comfort of adults in favor of the potential of children," the Republican governor said during a speech at Notre Dame Law School.

SOUTH BEND -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will deliver the keynote address during a daylong symposium titled "Educational Innovation and the Law" next Friday at the University of Notre Dame Law School. The symposium is free and open to the public, but tickets are required for the 2:30 p.m. keynote address, which will be in McCartan Courtroom in Eck Hall of Law. Keynote session tickets will be issued, one per person, on the day of the event beginning at 1 p.m. in Eck Commons (law school's second floor bridge)

HANOVER, N.H. (AP) -- Presidential candidate Mitt Romney took some less staunchly conservative stands than his rivals in their debate Tuesday night, declaring he can work with "good" Democrats and positioning himself closer to the center in line with his claim that he can draw crucial independent voters in next year's general election. He even defended portions of the Wall Street bailout, a particular sore point with many conservative voters who will play an important role in choosing the Republican nominee next winter and spring.